Report says child strip searches falling but safeguarding remains a problem
There were over 3,000 strip searches on children over five years
Safeguarding children in strip searches continues to be a problem despite a reduction in the number of searches taking place.
A report from the Children's Commissioner found that a total of 3,368 searches of children took place across 44 police forces, including the British Transport Police.
The instances took place between January of 2018 and June of 2023, according to data provided by police forces across England and Wales.
In the year to last June, Sussex Police recorded 13 strip-searches, making up 3% of their overall total, while fewer than ten were recorded by both Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Dorset Police.
The report was commissioned by Dame Rachel de Souza, who had used her statutory powers to order the investigation over the period.
As well as this, the report was prompted following the controversial strip search of Child Q, a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was strip searched in 2020 after being wrongly accused of possession of cannabis.
The girl, who is black, was strip searched whilst on her period - with the strip search taking place with no appropriate adult present during the incident at a school in Hackney.
Following the publication of the details, New Scotland Yard apologised to the girl for their conduct in the search.
Looking back on the incident, Dame Rachel said that the incident, which came to light two years after it took place, was "shocking" and something that should not happen.
The results of the report showed there was a "sharp reduction" in the number of all searches in London from 2021 onwards.
On a nationwide scale, figures showed that the number of strip searches - described as exposing private parts of a child - was 42% lower compared to figures from 2020.
It was also revealed that black children would be four times more likely to be stopped and searched in England and Wales compared to national figures.
Speaking on the results, Dame Rachel praised police forces for dealing with child strip searches in a more professional manner.
"I am particularly reassured by the progress in London by the Metropolitan Police, but today's research serves as a stark reminder that this is not an isolated issue in the capital," she said.
"A much higher threshold should be met before a child is subjected to a humiliating and traumatising intimate search."
England accounted for a total of 88% of child searches between 2018 and 2022, with Wales making up the remaining 12%.
Initial data showed Dyfed-Powys was the police force area with the highest search rate of 0.07 searches per 10,000.
This was followed by Merseyside and Northamptonshire (both 0.04), Durham (0.03) and Suffolk (0.02).
Figures show there were less than 10 child strip searches by Bedfordshire Police for the period from July 2022 to June 2023.
For the same time period, Thames Valley Police recorded 36 child strip searches, Hertfordshire Police recorded 11.
Wales's child strip search rate of 1.72 searches per 10,000 10 to 17-year-olds was around six times higher than the lowest rate, in Yorkshire and the Humber (0.3 per 10,000) for the period from July 2022 to June 2023.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for ethics and integrity, welcomed the results of the report and called on police forces to ensure safety remains top priority.
"Police have an important role in ensuring the safety of young and vulnerable people and that each interaction with them is fair and handled with sensitivity," he said.
"If an officer considers it necessary to search a child, this must be carried out in line with legislation, policy, and procedure and that safeguards are in place."